


r- 



PROFIT IN 

Quail Breeding 



ia for Fifty Cents 




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^-^ * ^X.\A . 



THe Tame Quail 




THE PET STOCK NEWS 

CHICAGO 






CONGRESS. 

T-w> Comes R6C^>*^ 

AUG. t5 190? 

Rrmtnam tttrw 
CL*S8 O-XXe. No. 

[wry 6. 



Introductory 



The pupils of the Peru High School listened recently to a most 
unusual lecture. Isaac W. Brown, of Rochester, Ind., widely 
known as the "Bird and Bee Man," talked on "The Ouail and Its 
Habits," and a pair of quails, alive and domesticated, was used as 
an illustration of the truths imparted by the lecturer. The quails 
were taken from their cage and placed upon it, where they sat dur- 
ing the lecture. They did not even make an attempt to fly away, 
and when Mr. Brown whistled. '-'tJobJwhite" they quickly answered 
his call. The quails wer|B_ raised "by "Professor Andrew J. Redmon, 
one of the high school instructors, who has one of the largest and 
best collections of birds i-n ladiana, . -. 

"I am the happiest liian in Indiana' to-day," said the lecturer, 
"because I am standing in the presence :of a pair of birds that have 
been domesticated. This is a-bsojute proof that the quail can be 
semi-domesticated and put to good use. 

"If the farmer would domesticate the quail we would not have 
to spray our orchards when they are in bloom in order to raise a 
crop of fine fruit. Quails would eat and drive away the insects. 
From observation I have learned that a quail will eat an insect every 
minute of the day. Take ten hours of the day and you'll find that 
one quail will get away with 600 insects. Usually there are twenty- 
five quails in a covey, and they would eat 15,000 insects a day. At 
this rate, with two or three coveys on each farm, it would not take 
long to rid the fields of the insects and insure us a good crop of 
grain. 

"Then in the fall what a happy and profitable pastime it would 
be to go quail netting, just as the English do fox hunting. The nets 
we once used were fifteen feet long, with one end and both sides 
open. On a wet day quails do not move about unless they are com- 
pelled to seek a place of safety. Whenever they roam about the 
mother goes first, while the young follow after her. The father re- 
mains in the rear looking for danger. One signal from him and the 
covey hides. 

"The quails after they are caught in the fall could be held in 
captivity until spring to keep them from starving and freezing to 
death. Then when spring comes they should be turned loose again 
to roam about the fields, to eat insects, and to whistle 'bob white,' 



PROFIT IN DOMESTICATED QUAIL. 



which means, 'Don't get lost, Mandy,' who is on the other side of 
the fence with her young, just out of their nest and with part of the 
shell still clinging to them." 

Clipping from THE PET STOCK NEWS, Chicago: 

The publisher of this journal is quite a lover of pet stock, but 
nothing appeals so much to him as quail, with their beautiful plum- 
age and winning ways. We delight in sitting, as the shades of 
evening fall, amid a flock of tame quail and watch their antics and 
listen to their merry songs. If there is anything in this world that 
will drive away the blues or a soggy feeling it is the don't-care-a-bit 
jolliness of the quail. He is a very hardy bird; only give him some- 
thing to eat and he is happy. 

After feeding about sunset, the quail each jump upon any slight, 
convenient elevation and sings you a sweet song about bobby white 
that has a peculiar soothing musical ting to it. When the bird stops 
singing, you call out an imitation, and seemingly with great vivac- 
ity he resumes singing, as much as to say, just hear me sing; I can 
sing, too! 

When the tune has been sung awhile all the quail flock together 
on the ground, and seemingly confab as to what to do next. One 
starts off at a brisk trot, and they all hurry up to go along, aimlessly 
to nowhere. They get to the end of the yard, and all come trotting 
back again, reminding us so much of the old sight so familiar of the 
band going from right of the line at dress parade in common time to 
the left of line, and then returning to the right at the quick step. 
Just as the drum major will turn his head and throw up his shiny 
baton as he passes the commander on the return at quick step, so 
the leading quail looks cutely up at you, just as much as to say, 
just see us do the parade, too. Then the flock will all break up, 
each quail seemingly going about his own business for a time, and 
one by one hie off to roost, just as the soldiers do. Quail roost on 
the ground, not on perches, as chickens do. They will range them- 
selves in a circle, about fifteen to the circle, heads all pointed out, 
making a formation similar to a rally by platoons in the military. 
On a cold night the young and feeble will be found in the middle of 
the rally, affording protection and warmth. Never use a stove, 
though, in rearing quail. Dry ground with straw makes good roost- 
ing places, outside in summer, inside in the winter. Quail are very 
free from disease. 



History of Quail Culture 



The culture of the quail as a domestic bird is of recent 
date. Althou<^h all those who brouj^ht quails to market 
knew that they found a ready sale and commanded a price 
far ahead of anything else in the poultry line, yet the idea 
to tame wild quails, to raise them like other poultry and 
see what could be realized from an enterprise of that kind, 
was universally overlooked. Little over two years ago a 
young man, the son of a well-to-do Mis.souri farmer, more 
by mere chance than anything else, fell upon the notion of 
taming wild quails. Being of too frail a body to fit him for 
general farming work and having no ambition for any study 
whatever, his father bought him a ten acre small fruit farm, 
eleven miles from St. Louis. Here he lived all to himself, 
from a moderate income of the small fruit. Having no 
desire to accumulate riches, he was satisfied. Friends he 
had few, and those few did not deserve the name of devoted 
ones. It must, however, be mentioned that nature, negli- 
gent and ungrateful with him on the one hand, had 
bestowed him with a particular talent on the other hand. 
This talent was that of a bird charmer. With him it was a 
matter of comparative ease to change, within a short time, 
all kinds of wild birds from an utterly unruly state, to a 
state of gentleness and confiding habit. Among his com- 
rades at school he was called not otherwise than "our bird 
charmer," .sometimes, more vulgarly, "our bird bulldozer." 

His little farm was all encircled by an Osage orange 
hedge. The hedge had been cut down the previous year, 
laying the tops over to one side. This, together with the 
grape vines, gooseberry, blackberry and other bushes. 



■4 rRoFIT IN DOMESTICATED OUAIL. 

afforded an excellent abode for rabbits and all kinds of 
birds. Amonj:^' the latter were some cardinal crossbeaks. 
These he intended to catch, if he could, and tame them. 
He accordingl)' put up some traps; it was a few weeks 
before Christmas; snow and sleet covered the ground. 
When he went to take a look at the traps, on the following 
day, he found to his surprise, instead of crossbeaks, a lot 
of quails in one of them. 

Amused at what he had caught he at first did not know 
what to do with them, but soon decided that he would keep 
and tame them the same as though they had been cross- 
beaks. He accordingly turned a dr}- goods box into a 
■ temporary quail-coop and fed them wheat and water. The 
next days brought him a few more quails, but no cross- 
beaks. They seemed to be afraid of the traps. Well, he 
thought, if he couldn't catch any crossbeaks he would be 
satisfied with quails. Couldn't he make some monev with 
quails, he reflected? The quail was, although not of as 
bright a plumage as the crossbeak, yet of quite acceptable 
appearance. He meditated a good deal on quails, and the 
more he meditated the more interested he grew. Wouldn't 
people buy a pair of fine tame quails simply for the beauty 
of having them around.-' Wasn't the quail a prettier bird 
than any of the pigeons? Wasn't the song "bob white," 
with its variations, about just as musical as the sonorous 
song of the canary? He ended his mediation with the 
firm conclusion to give the quail busine.ss a trial, and if 
there should be any money to be made at it he would 
abandon the culture of the thorny gooseberry and black- 
berry, connected with tedious gathering, and raise quails 
in their stead. 

On Christmas day his father came on a visit. He 
showed him the quails he had caught, and at the same 
time warmly expressed his belief in the profitableness of 
raising them domestically. His views had broadened on 



PROFIT I\ DOMESTICATED QUAIL. 

the subject. He spoke to his father with zeal and ardor in 
a way he never spoke to him before, and finally requested 
him to put up traps on the farm, and catch him some more 
birds. The father listened patiently to his son's fad, for 
such he considered it to be, but at the end hurst out into 
a hearty laughter. Yet he agreed to trap him as many 
quails as he could, warning him, however, to be cautious 
about this untried undertaking, and not neglect or ruin a 
sure income for a doubtful enterprise. 

By the time snow and sleet were gone, in January, his 
flock numbered about fifty birds, most of them having 
been caught by his father. From these he selected fifteen 
pairs, and sold the rest, all males. Fifteen pair he con- 
sidered sufficient to start with, at least he intended to 
trouble no one for more. 

He next converted one side of his room, having a win- 
dow in it, into a habitation for the quails, modeling it 
somewhat after a common hen house. The feed also was 
chosen the same as for chickens. The corn being in most 
cases too large for them to swallow, was boiled, and while 
soft cut into suitable pieces. This they relished exceed- 
ingly. Each time he fed he went inside. The quails 
were very wild at first, and made an immediate rush for a 
hiding place, which thev found in the dr}' goods box which 
had served as a temporary coop and which had been left 
standing in one corner. He went to the box, took them 
out one by one, petted them a little and let them go again. 
This he kept up until their wild nature had so far abated 
that they didn't start any more for the box when he en- 
tered. On stormy days, or days when there was nothing 
of importance to do, he sometimes spent a long time 
playing with his quails and petting them. By and by 
they grew very tame, and he could put his hand on them 
whenever he wished. 

When spring opened he built a large yard of wire net- 



6 PROFIT IN DOMESTICATED QUAIL. 

ting, joining it to the quail house. At first he thought of 
building a new house altogether. Considering the matter, 
however, he again gave up this plan, for a change in their 
habitation might prove detrimental just at that time of the 
year, when, as he lielieved, laying season was near at hand. 
So he went to fixing nests. 

But how? That was the question. He had seen the 
wild quails' nests, but had never paid any attention to 
their construction. The only thing he knew was that 
they were completely roofed over. Taking this as a guide 
he made a kind of long narrow box, and divided it into 
fifteen little divisions, each division to serve as a nest. 
Bottom and sides were lined with grass, the bottom espec- 
ially well prepared with soft grass. This box he put in 
the darkest part of the house with the opening toward the 
wall, and with a bundle of grass beside it in case this sort 
of a nest shouldn't suit the quail's fancy. He wondered 
how many eggs they would lav, and how he was going to 
treat and feed the young brood when they came out. He 
wished he was a little better posted. Couldn't he, per- 
chance, obtain a book somewhere on quail culture to give 
him information? He intended to incjuire at a book store 
the next time he went to town. 

"A book about what?" said the man behind the desk, 
coming nearer. 

"A book about quails," he repeated in a low voice and 
a rather uncertam and liashful look. 

"My dear sir," replied the bookseller, "I have no such 
book and don't believe there is such a liook out. What 
do you want to know about quails?" 

He told him what he was after. 

"Well, feed the young birds Hungarian seed," the 
bookseller said. "It's the best you can give a canary bird 
and it ought to be good for (]uails, too. But wait," he con- 
tinued, "I have some books on poultry raising and maybe 



PROFIT IN DOMESTICATED OUAIL. ( 

you can find what you want in them. They are good. " 
He went to the further end of the shelves and com- 
menced hunting among a large pile ot papers, hooks and 
pamjihlets — evidently neglected literature--tor the object 
mentioned. 

"Here it is, " he said, striking a rather insignificant 
looking pamphlet several times against the counter to free 
it from dust. "Now let's see if it says anything about 
quails," he went on, running over the pages. "No, it 
doesn't seem to, but here is a heading 'P""eeding Young 
Ducks,' which might be of interest to you. Better take 
the book along and read it; it's only a quarter." He paid 
the tpiarter and went home. 

Somewhat discouraged, he sat down and took to the 
book. It was almost the first thing he read since tjuitting 
school. The more he read the more interested he grew, 
and bv the time he had finished it he arrived at the con- 
clusion of having gained some valuable knowledge. What 
was good for chickens, could not, very likelw be unwhole- 
.some for quails. He had fed too much corn, he was sure; 
he must feed more green stufi, more meat, some crushed 
bone; provide for gravel, a little charcoal, adustbath, look 
out for lice, etc., a whole lot ot things he had never thought 
of before. His first step was to get a supply of fresh meat. 
He tot)k his gun and went to the hedge for a rabbit. 
Within five minutes he had what he wanted. The rabbit 
was cooked, and a ])ortion of it — as much as they would eat 
— fed to the quails. It proved to be a delicac}' tor them. 
Eagerly they jumped and flew at his outstretched hand to 
snatch the rare article. With utmost delight he looked 
on. He compared the wild unruly stock of a few months 
ago with the birds now Ijefore him, with their gentle de- 
meanor, their gay habit. He reflected what a sight it 
would be, when, instead ot thirtv, his flock should numl)er 
by the hundred. This, of course, was anticipation, count- 



PROFIT IN DOMESTICATED QUAIL. 



in.y; chickens before they were hatched. But let us wait. 

Since stu(lvin<4 his liook he had a guide, and was gov- 
erned liy it. li it was not exactly the right way to treat 
quails, it was certainly the best mode he could adopt for 
the present, until experience and observation should teach 
him dilterent. 

One day, early in the morning, the quails were un- 
usually noisy. Leavjug his work and stepping up lightly 
to the quail-house he peeped in. There was a big stir, 
and every appearance of something important going on. 
While some of the quails were sittmg on ]ioles, others were 
rushing in and out ot the small divisions in the long nar- 
row l)ox he had made for nests; others again were busy at 
the little grass stack in the corner. There remained no 
doubt they intended to build nests, and evidently had a 
conversation on this subject. He made up his mind not 
to chsturb them at present, and it was not until several 
days afterwards that he attempted to discover what they 
had been doing. Five of the little divisions in the box 
were completely shut up, save a vei"}- small opening m the 
center, scarcely large enough, in his opinion, to admit of a 
(|uail passing through. Carefully pushing the grass a trifie 
apart he looked m. Lo' three eggs in the Hrst nest. He 
examined all the nests. F'our had eggs, one was empty. 
The next week more nests were finished, and the week 
following every one of the little divisions was shut up, a 
sign that all the (|uails were laying. The next thing now 
to look for was the young brood. How manv would there 
l)e.-* With some disquietude he awaited the day of their 
arrival. But they came, and in the same order the quails 
had commenced laying. Cute, lively litttle birds, they 
were needing no lessons to pick up their feed after leaving 
the nest. From fifteen eggs on an average in a nest, four- 
teen on an average were hatched, about two hundred and 
ten in all. To prevent quarreling, he put each pair with 



PROFIT IN DOMESTICATED QUAIL. 9 

the young brood into a separate pen, made of wire netting, 
with a small coop in each pen. This worked admirably. 
He fed according to his book, and four times a day. The 
young quails grew finely, and he became more fond of them 
every day. Each day he took them out of the pen, petted 
them a while, and put them back again. This he did to 
rid them of any trace of wild nature which might still exist. 
What seemed tedious work to others was simply play for 
him. 

Having been told that quails had two broods a year, 
he separated old and young quails as soon as the young 
had attained a fair size. 

The sjecond brood was almost analogous with the first 
one, with the exception that two (]uail hens did not lav. 
This figured some, of course, but everything else being all 
right, it was nothing to be worried over. His Hock now 
numbered nearly four hundred birds. Of the first brood 
some were lost, but not many. Disease of no kind was 
amongst them. The pet cat was the enemy perpetrating 
all the mischief. Although vigilantly watched, it was con- 
stantly preying upon them, and had to be banished from 
the place. 

Four hundred birds! What was he going to do with 
them? Would it be better to keep them all and raise a 
large flock a year hence, or would it be better to sell a 
portion and see what the new enterprise he had embarked 
in really amounted to financially? After deliberate con- 
sideration he decided ior the latter. But how was he go- 
ing to sell them? As common poultry for the market? 
Some, yes, but not all. Those fine gentle birds that he 
could trust to run about at their own free will without 
needing to have any fear of their escaping, that would fly 
upon his shoulders and take their grub from out of his 
hand — these were, indeed, too good for that purpose. 
They should sell l)y the pair if they could be disposed of 



10 PROFIT IN DOMESTICATED (^)UAIL. 



in that wa}'. Of the first brood he had three dozen male 
birds left after mating eighty-one pairs These three 
dozen he brought to town, early in November, receiving 
four dollars a dozen for them, there being no quails in the 
market at that time. Quails, domesticated, sold alive in 
boxes, the same as chickens, was something new, causing 
quite a sensation. He could have sold many more dozen 
at this price, had he wanted, but he preferred to wait and 
see how they would go by the pair. Four dollars was cer- 
tainly fair money, yet he thought, even at half this, it 
would pay much better to raise quails than small fruit, not 
to consider the greater ease and the pleasure. 

Several days afterwards he again started for town, tak- 
ing with him three of the choicest pairs. What success 
he would have was yet an unsolved problem to him. He 
was a poor talker, he knew, with manners more awkward 
than comely and unless the article he handled should be 
taking and saleable in itself, he would be in a rather bad fix. 

He had scarcely drove out of the gate when he heard 
his name called. Looking around, he observed his father 
coming up the road in a buggy with another man sitting 
beside him. It was a man from Oregon, an intimate 
friend ot his father, who had formerly been a neighbor, 
Init was now engaged in mercantile business at Portland. 
Pxith were agreeably amused when they saw the quails ui 
the cage, and learned that he intended to sell them by 
the pair. But they were surprised when upon entering 
the yard they beheld the large flock of cjuails he had raised, 
and noticed the manv arrangements he had provided for 
them, comfortable, useful and convenient. (His father 
had not seen him since his visit on Christmas). Intending 
to also show them the gentleness and docility of the birds, 
he went and got some feed, opened a pen containing one 
dozen choice pairs, then sat down on a box standing close 
by, and called them. There was an immediate stir in the 



I'Rdl-IT IX IKI.MKSTICAI'KI) IJI'MI.. 11 

pen. Half runniiifi;, half flvinti;, they rushed out to his side. 
After thev had picked up all the strain they took a recess 
in part on his lap, |iart on his shoulders, and some Hew on 
his hat, until he was almost completely covered with bircl,^. 

"Well, I declare," said the t^entleman from (_)re^on, 
lookino'on with admiration, "it that doesn't beat all I ever 
dreamed could he done with (piails. When I was a bov 
I considered the quail to be the most noble liird under the 
sun, l)ut that it could be l)rou,y;ht'to a docihtv like this went 
beyond my imaiiination. How lonj^ have \'ou been train- 
in.i^- these birds?" 

He told him that it was less than a \-ear, and how he 
had proceeded, but that there was nothing extraordinary 
about it. 

"All this accomplished in less than a vear, and from 
wild stock," he exclaimed with astonishment: "mv Ijov, 
you area bird charmer, indeed. When I left here, twelve 
years a.t;;o, I believed vou would never be Ht tor anything, 
but I see I was mistaken, and I am i^lad ot it: but have 
vou fixed upon a price.-'" 

He told him that he had not. 

"Well, chari^e ten dollars a pair. These fine tame 
birds, <^ood either for breeding or tor pleasure, are worth 
it, and \-ou will get it, too." 

His father shook his head at this, with a chnibtful 
smile upon his tace. 

"\'es, vou will get it," continued the Oregon friend: 
"these gentle quails will delight almost everybody. But, 
as we have ke])t you from selling birds to-daw sup]iose 
we both tr\- the business to-morrow.-'" 

\\'ith gratitude and jov he accepted this oiler, for now 
he saw the ol)Stacle removed that l)ut a short while ago 
was burdensome to him. Forty pair he could spare, and 
at ten dollars a j-iair what an amount of nioncv it would be! 

Gentlv he renioved the (juails trom his lap, shoulders 



1*2 PROP'IT IN DOMESTICATED QUAIL. 

and hat, where they had remained during the conversa- 
tion, bringing them back to their pen, the gentleman from 
Oregon watching him with an expression of surprise on 
his face. 

With his father still doubting the success, both started 
for town the following morning, taking with them forty 
pairs, divided into two suitable wire cages, and put up at 
a stand in Union Market. The day previous the friend 
from Oregon, who was not only a generous and upright 
person, but an able business man as well, had rented this 
stand and also made arrangements for an advertisement 
to appear in several of the morning papers, running thus: 

pERSONAL-In passing through Union Market 
^ don't forget to take a look at the flock of tame 
quails in the stand near the southeast corner. 

A large pasteboard sign "Tame Quails," was also put 
up. From morn till night the stand was crowded with 
people, not all buyers, of course, but people who wanted 
to satisfy their curiosity, who wanted to take a look at 
what they had never seen before — a tame quail. 

In two days the forty pairs were sold, realizing four 
hundred dollars. The buyers belonged to no particular 
class, but were men and women occupying different sta- 
tions in life and following different callings; old and young 
alike. This seems sufficient evidence that the culture of 
the quail could be pronounced a prosperous business, and 
was no longer a doubtful enterprise. Believing it to be 
such, he discontinued the cultivation of small fruit and has 
since followed quail raising exclusively, devoting all his 
time and attention to it. He introduced birds from dif- 
ferent states and bred them with his other stock, after 
they had been thoroughly tamed. He now has a mag- 
nificent flock of domestic quails, with a yearly income of 
upwards of four thousand dollars. Although he could 
easily doul)le this amount by increasing the number of 



PROFIT IN DOMESTICATED OUAIL. 13 



birds, yet he does not do it. More birds would mean more 
work, more work would require more help, and this is what 
he dislikes. He prefers and loves a life of solitude. 

"The way I am conducting; my business now," he says, 
"is a pleasure for me; if I have to engage people to help 
me, it will rob me of all enjoyment." The only aid he has 
is an aged gentleman, whom he has know since early boy- 
hood, who attends to the quails during his absence. 



Taming tHe Wild Quail 



There are people with whom it is a task attended with 
comparatively but little difficulty of taming all kinds of 
wild birds and animals. They have a certain way, a talent 
of quieting the shy and averse nature towards man, char- 
acteristic ot all wild stock, and bring about a gentler in- 
clination, a state ot toleration at first and finally one of 
attachment. Although this way, this talent, may consist 
and certainly does consist, in the most part, in trifles only, 
yet it is an attribute not so readily acquired by a person 
not the possessor of such a talent. The introducer of quail 
culture, is naturally gifted with this talent, and for him the 
taming of wild l)irds is simply pleasure, accomplished 
within a very short time. He has been taming a number 
of wild quails from Oregon last winter. 

The first step to be taken in taming a wild bird is to 
convince it that you are not going to do it an}- harm. Han- 
dle it as gently as possible, stroking it lightly over its head 
and back; talk in a half aloud, half whispering tone to the 
bird all the while you hold it in your hand, stroking it at 
the same time. You can also imitate to perfection the 
quails calling each other with all the different changes. 

The best way is to have two boxes of a size only moder- 
ately larger than the number of quails they are to contain. 



14 PROFIT IN DOMESTICATED QUAIL. 



Lathe the boxes in front, and in case of hot weather the 
rear also, lest the quails might suffocate. Place them 
where you are more or less around, and transfer the quails 
at least once every day — oftener if time permits — from one 
box to the other, stroking them gently on head and back. 
Feed wheat and water. Wild quails will eat or drink very 
little, it anv, the first days ol captivity. If after two weeks 
of close captivity their wildest nature has somewhat abated, 
and they can be removed from one box to the other with- 
out much resistance and flutter, then put them into a larger 
box, lathing it as described. It is ahvaj^s better, however, 
to keep continually handling them and take them into your 
hands at least once or twice a week, and pet them a little. 
When feeding call them, use some kind of a name, or 
word, no matter what it is, it it be only "come! come!" 
They will soon remember it. It is also advisable to oc- 
casionally skip one or two meals, and let them hunger a 
little. This will teach them that they are dependent on 
you for their sustenance, and will greatly aid in bringing 
about a gentler disposition. Dependence! It is the same 
thing with man, too: 

■■Wliose bread I eat. his song I sing." 

After they have been in this second box for a month or 
two, according to behavior, they may then be moved to 
spacious and permanent quarters, consisting of a yard, 
made of wire netting, with a coop attached. This con- 
tinual changing from one place to another, may appear to 
some as being altogether unnecessary. If the quails were 
not intended to remain in the first box, why not bring them 
at once to a place where they could remain? To what 
end all this extra trouble? We must consider that we are 
dealing with wild nature and that we are trying to get this 
wild nature accustomed to something it never was ac- 
customed to. 

This wild bird we are tamin<j, that is, forciu"' a life 



I'KdFIT IN DOMESTICATED (JUAIL. 15 

upon it to which it was never used, knew nothing of boxes 
and wire roots before it was caught. It had the fields, the 
woods, the slvy, for its abode. If we would commence to 
assign it to a rcximy space it would feel as sad as in the 
closest imprisonment. If, however, on the contrary, we 
begin with close imprisonment, let it taste the worst of the 
bitter cup right from the start, and then gradually widen 
its habitation, and finally bring it to a spacious yard, it will 
keenly feel and appreciate the change and experience a 
sense of liberation as though it was again in its native 
abode. 

The size of the yard must be made in comparison with 
the number of birds that are intended to occupy it. Six 
by six feet and two or three feet high, is about the right 
size for one half dozen birds. A tew horizontal poles 
should not be missing, for the quails greatly enjoy to oc- 
casionally sit on them. One foot high, one wide, and 
about one and a half or two feet long, will make a coop of 
ample size, which should be firmly fastened to the yard to 
admit of yard and coop being moved together whenever 
this may seem desirable. Everything should be done to 
make the quails feel perfectly comfortable and contented, 
for unless they are they will not lay. 

When they will lay depends much on the time when 
they were caught. If they have been caught in Novem- 
ber or December, they will very likely lay in May or June, 
and again in August or September; but if caught in Feb- 
ruary or March, they will not lay before August or Sep- 
tember and only once. 

(How to feed, look under the heading of Feeding). 

Practically all of the matter printed in this book up to 
this point has been secured in conferences with the first 
man who took up the culture of the tame quail. We will 
follow with the publisher's personal experiences in tame 
or domesticated quail raising for the profit in it. 



IB PROFIT IN DOMESTICATED QUAIL. 





T 


ame 


Q 


ua il 


as 


Pets 



By this term is meant the highest degree of tameness; 
birds that come upon your call, that can be hadled like 
young kittens, companions in house and )'ard. To get 
them this way it is necessary to have them around you as 
soon after they are hatched as possible. Construct a box 
about one foot wide, one foot high, and about one and a 
half feet long. Finish the front with number ten wire 
staves, leaving them far enough apart that the young quails 
can easily pass through to run in and out at pleasure. Let 
the box have a bottom which can easily be removed to 
facilitate cleaning. In case of hot weather, provide the 
rear with wire staves also, that there be plenty of ventila- 
tion. Attach a board about six inches wide and the whole 
length of the box to the front to serve as a porch. 

A box of this size will accommodate one pair of quails 
with fifteen or sixteen young ones for the first five or six 
weeks. As soon as the young brood has made its appear- 
ance, put the nest together with the old pair into the box, 
and place the box in your kitchen, workshop, sitting room, 
office or any place where you will be more or less around. 
As long as the young brood remains in the nest let the old 
pair attend to their wants, but as soon as they leave it com- 
mence and scatter feed. Throw the feed into the box at 
first that old and young may eat together, but after one 
or two days feed on the little porch and have the young 
come out for it. (What to feed, look under Feeding). 
Feed often, every two or three hours, but never overfeed. 
Rather let them go with some appetite left than glut them. 
See that the drinking water be clean and fresh, never 
otherwise. Adopt some kind of a name to call them when 
you feed; they will remember it as they grow older. Each 



PROFIT IN DOMESTICATED QUAIL. 17 

day take them in your hands for a few moments, one after 
the other. They will at first greatly object to this hand- 
ling, and will make every possible exertion to get away. 
Keep it up, however, it is the quickest way to bring about 
a gentle disposition, and to rid them of every existing trace 
of shyness. Soon they will get used to it and show no 
further aversion to it. In fact, once accustomed to it, the 
quail is fond of being petted. 

The second week look for exercise for the young. Al- 
though the old pair will stand close captivity well, it is 
necessary for the young to have exercise. Place the box 
on the floor and let them have a run over the room at their 
heart's content. Do this every day 

After six weeks, separate old and young quails, but do 
not allow the old to run together with the young, for they 
may spoil them; unless they are pets themselves. If, tor 
six weeks the above rules have been observed, you will not 
only have healthy birds, Init at the end of this time, have 
pets, tame quails that will, when they get older, sing their 
merry "bob white, " either in the open window, on a chair, 
on your writing desk, and, perchance, sometimes on the 
breakfast table, if you choose to permit such familiarity. 
They are strongh' attached to the mode of living they have 
been brought up in, and have no inclination to depart from 
it, be their wings ever so limber. Where there is a yard 
this is of advantage. The quail loves to be out in the open 
air, to bask in the sunshine, and enjoys with utmost delight 
a soft gentle shower. 

The raising of qnails as pets, although attended with 
more trouble, is by far more profitable than to raise them 
as common poultry for market purpose only. There is 
always a demand for good pets. The jiretty quail with 
its proud carriage, its gay demeanor, as a tame bird, has, 
as it seems, a charm for all classes of people. All are ad- 
mirers, and a great many are buyers. Sometimes fancy 



18 TROFIT IN DOMESTICATED QUAIL. 

prices are obtainable. Last winter, a gentleman living in 
St. Louis, Mo. , who had seen some of our pet quails at a 
friend's house, wrote us that if we would select three of 
the choicest pairs from among our flock and deliver them 
at his house in sound condition, he would pay us twenty- 
five dollars a pair for them. We filled the order and re- 
ceived what he had promised. These are exceptions, of 
course, prices that not everybody can or will pay. This 
gentleman was wealthy, and he wanted the birds for the 
enjoyment of his daughter, who was a consumptive invalid. 
From live to ten dollars a pair, according to beauty and 
docility, is a fair average price for pets, and there is splen- 
did money to be made at these figures. 

It may yet be mentioned that with too much petting 
and caressing, especially in the hand of children, con- 
nected with irregular feeding, at times too scanty, and at 
other times in excess, the quail ceases to be prolific. 



Quail E'ggs and Hatchiirig 



The domestic quail will lay from fifty to sixty eggs in a 
season, according to treatment, and has two broods a year. 
Some quail hens will lay sixteen eggs, then stop and sit; 
while others will lay as many as twenty-five eggs, and then 
sit. This remarkable difference led to an investigation, 
and it was found that not mistakes in feeding, which was 
first thought to be the trouble, was the cause, but, prob- 
ably, too early sitting. Believing this to be the case, an 
early sitter was killed and dissected, whereby a number of 
larger and smaller eggs, apparently normal, were found. 

The conjecture now was this: Would not these eggs 
have fully developed had further development not been 
checked by too early sitting? It is a well known fact that 
hens repeatedly frightened will produce less eggs, and if 



PROFIT IN DOMESTICATED QUAIL. l\) 

moved to a strange place generally quit laying altogether. 
A slight cause can evidently produce a great effect in this 
respect. Could not, therefore, too early sitting change an 
otherwise normal egg, not yet fully developed, to an ab- 
normal condition which prevented further development? 
If this be true, what then caused the bird to sit in advance 
of her proper time? Was it the inconvenience of too 
many eggs, she feared, or did the instinct of the bird teach 
her that it was useless to lay any more eggs than she could 
successfully hatch? Considering the size of the quail, 
fifteen or seventeen eggs are all she can manage. May 
this be, as it will, an experiment was tried as follows; 

After eight eggs were laid the ninth was removed, the 
tenth left in, and the eleventh again removed. In this 
way often eight, ten or even more eggs were gained. Some 
will laugh at this, without doubt, and call it ridiculous, in- 
credible and exaggerated; but it is nevertheless true, even 
if the principle on which it is based should prove incorrect. 
Allow the quail her own will to sit, whenever she pleases, 
and you will have less eggs; cheat her and you will have 
more. Try the experiment and see whether it is a delusion. 

As above stated, fifteen to seventeen eggs constitute a 
full quail's setting. If, however, desired, or this from 
various reasons becomes necessary, the eggs can be suc- 
cessfully hatched with a hen, care being taken to select 
one with a quiet and gentle disposition, and light weighted, 
not too heavy. Nothing is better adapted for this pur- 
pose than the bantam, although other light weighted hens 
will answer also. How many eggs can be placed under a 
hen must be determined by the size of the hen. Should 
any eggs get broken in the nest, carefully remove all the 
the shells and wash all the sound eggs that have got soiled, 
in warm water, care being taken not to get the eggs 
chilled. Also remove everything from the nest which is 
unclean, and replace it with new stuff. After all this is 



20 PROFIT IN DOMESTICATED QUAIL. 

prepared, immediately replace the hen. Observe cleanli- 
ness, and especially guard against lice. They are as detri- 
mental to young quails as they are to young chicks. Dust 
the hen once a week with Persian insect powder. Eggs 
will hatch in twenty-one days. 



Quail Houses and Pens 



Quails roost on the ground, never on perches. They 
sit close together in bunches, forming a circle, the heads 
turned outward. A quail house need, therefore, not be 
high, or it may be provided with shelves, one above the 
other, the quails being easily trained to occupy these 
shelves. The latter plan is especially adapted where large 
flocks are kept that roam about. Another plan is to en- 
close the quails in movable pens or yards with a small 
house attached, one, two, three or four dozen quails en- 
closed in a pen. Six by six feet and two or three feet high 
is about the right proportion for one dozen domestic birds. 
Arrange a few horizontal poles inside the pen for the quails 
to sit on. They greatly enjoy this; it seems to be a re- 
creation for them. Two b}' three feet and one foot high, 
is large enough for a house. It should be built of light 
material, be provided with nests and have a loose board 
or door in the rear to conveniently get to the nests for the 
removal of eggs. (See Eggs and Hatching). It also should 
contain a small compartment for grit or gravel, and one for 
charcoal, and be provided with adust box. This latter is 
about equally as important for quails as it is for chickens. 
A pen of this kind has the advantage over a stationary 
one, that it can be easily moved over a fresh spot of grass 
every day, and on this account is especially valuable in 
spring, summer and fall. If the place where the pens are 
kept, is not shaded by trees, the top of each pen, or a por- 



PROFIT IN DOMESTICATED QUAIL. 



tion of it, should be covered with Neponset roohng fabric 
to protect the birds from the sun during the hot summer 
months. Double the number of young quails can be en- 
closed in a pen of this size with impunity. The houses 
should be whitewashed, inside and outside, shelves and 
all, once or twice every year, to guard against lice; or, 
what is far better, painted with carbolineum avenarius, 
which is a cheap nut brown paint. 

Quail and chicken houses, painted once a year, in and 
outside, shelves, perches and all, with this composition, 
rubbing it well into the cracks, will be free from lice and 
vermin of every description. Another good thing to guard 
against lice is to have the bottom of the quail house and 
the shelves covered with a layer of road dust. Lice can 
not thrive where there is dust. Should all of these pre- 
cautions have been neglected and the quails become lousy, 
dust them with a chicken lice powder. 

There are other plans for building habitations for the 
quail, but as everybody is very likely to construct some- 
thing after his or her own fashion, we think these instruc- 
tions of ours are sufficient. 

Whatever the plan be, however, see that there be 
plenty of shade and ventilation in summer, and plenty of 
protection from the blasts of winter. Although the quail 
is of iron clad hardness, and can stand more hardships and 
neglect than any other bird in the poultry yard, yet his 
abode should be made as comfortable as possible to obtain 
the best results. 



Quail Feeding Directions 



Quails can be fed precisely like chickens, the rules 
which apply to the one are also applicable to the other. 
There is difference only in cpiantity and size. The chicken 



PROFIT IN DOMESTICATED OUAIL. 



requires about seven or eight times more food than the 
quail, and can swallow a whole grain of corn, which the 
quail can not. If the quail is not penned in it needs very 
little attention. There is no more industrious bird than 
the quail. From morn to night it is always busy looking 
for its own support, catching bugs, insects, worms, chas- 
ing grasshoppers, picking something here, something there, 
so that when evening approaches its wants are about all 
satisfied. 

In summer, feed them a little grain of some kind in 
the evening; this is all that is required, and even this shall 
serve more to give them a welcome reception at the close 
of each day, than for necessity of giving them food. Ac- 
customed, however, to being fed in the evening, see how 
quickl}^ they will come from far and near when they are 
called. 

After they have hnished their grain they will fly or 
jump on boxes, barrels, the fence, or any elevated place 
they can find, and commence picking their wings, shaking 
their bodies, singing "bob white," and, in fact, show every 
sign of being perfectly happy and contented. One will 
forget business and get rid of the blues with a gay flock of 
quails around him. 

In winter, especially if the weather is severe, feed 
mornings and evenings. Some kind of a soft, warm feed 
in the morning and grain in the evening. See that there 
be plenty of fresh water standing around in clean vessels. 

If the quails are penned in, a variety of food becomes 
necessary. As they can not catch any bugs or worms, 
fresh lean meat, cooked and cut into suitable pieces, should 
be substituted, and given in moderate quantity. In the 
morning prepare a soft feed of middlings and bi'an, to 
which an even portion of clover meal is added. For an 
all day feed, use millet. If the pen be movable and you 
have a yard with blue-grass or clover, move the pen a little 

L.afC. 



PROFIT IN DOMESTICATED QUAIL. 2.3 

further each day or every other day. In this way they 
will help themselves to whatever they want. Should the 
place where the quails are kept be a fixed one, however, 
procure some green stuff of whatever kind obtainable, blue- 
grass, clover, oats, rye, timothy, etc., and cut it into suit- 
able lengths for the quails to swallow (half inch lengths is 
about right). The clover meal being clover hay, ground 
fine, may be classed as green food, and in this respect will 
make a very good substitute where and when green food 
is scarce. 

In the evening feed cracked corn or wheat; the seed of 
the sunflower also is very wholesome. Or use a soft feed 
made of corn meal to which a little clover meal is added. 
In addition to their regular meals, feed green cut, crushed 
or granulated bone twice a week, and see that there be a 
supply of coarse river sand, fine gravel, or manufactured 
grit always before them. A little charcoal should also be 
provided, and plenty of clean, fresh water. 

If this system of feeding, or somethiug similar, which 
anybody observing the wants of the birds can designate 
without difficulty, be followed, and their general welfare 
otherwise not counteracted, the quails will be healthy, vig- 
orous, full of life and very prolific. Care should be taken 
not to over feed. Anybody used to feeding chickens only 
is liable to do this. Always remember that about eight 
grown quails can be fed in place of one plymouth rock. 
The criterion is, if anything should be left over from one 
meal give less the next time. 



Feeding Young Quails 



To prevent quarreling, and to better care for them, the 
old pair together with the young brood should be isolated 
from the rest, soon after the brood is out, by bringing them 



24 PROFIT IN DOMESTICATED QUAIL. 

into a movable pen, with house attached, as indicated 
under "Houses and Pens," only that it can l)e much 
smaller. Place the nest with the young brood in one cor- 
ner of the house, and as long as they remain in the nest 
let the old pair attend to their wants. As soon as they 
leave the nest they will look out for themselves. They 
are a good deal more active and vigorous than young chicks, 
and their growth is far more rapid. 

The first feed for the young should consist of a mash 
made of even portions of corn meal and middlings, to 
which the raw yolk of one or two eggs is added. Throw 
a handful of this mixture from the rear of the house through 
the loose board or door, as the case may be, in front of 
the nest. The old pair will attend to its distribution. Feed 
every three or four hours if possible. This mash can be 
fed all the while the young remain in the nest, and for a 
long time thereafter, by adding an even portion of clover 
meal to it. Care must be taken, however, that the mash 
be always fresh and sweet; sour food of whatever kind is 
unwholesome for young quails. In addition to this mix- 
ture, throw a few handsful of millet seed each day into 
the pen, after the young have abandoned the nest. The 
second week give small quantities of fresh lean meat, and 
twice a week feed some green and bone. Also look for 
green food, and see that there be always fresh water in 
clean vessels within easy reach of the young birds. Use 
coarse sand or fine gravel for grit. Do not forget the grit; 
it is a necessity. The chick needs it, and the young quail 
can not get along without it. 

The breeder new in the business needs to exercise more 
caution in the rearing of the young quail than he will need 
after having become thoroughly experienced. Remember 
to keep everything very clean about the young, feed only 
clean and wholesome food, watch your stock daily, and in 
your idle moments read up everything you can get. 



PROFIT IN DOMESTICATED OUAIL. 25 



Quail Egg's Hatched Out h>y a Hen 



If the eggs are hatched with a hen, the same course of 
feeding should be pursued with the exception only, that 
the young brood, from lack of instinct of the hen, must be 
attended to by yourself while they stay in the nest. Do 
not disturb the young brood for thirty hours after they are 
hatched. Then gently remove the hen and proceed as 
follows: Take a small stick, or, what is better, make a 
wooden spatula, the size of a lead pencil, only flat, and 
with this put a small portion of the feed, which should be 
mixed rather thin, but not too thin, down every little fel- 
low's throat. This is easily done, for as soon as you ap- 
proach with the spatula, they will throw their mouths wide 
open. Always use the spatula for feeding, never the fin- 
gers. After all are fed and the hen has received some 
food also, replace her, for the little fellows, with their 
somewhat unnatural mother, must be kept warm for the 
first days of their life. Should the weather, however, be 
very hot, and there be danger of them suffocating, leave 
the hen ofT the nest during the hottest hours of the day. 
Feed three or four times a day. Water they need none, 
for there is plenty of moisture in the food for their suste- 
nance. As soon as they abandon the nest all danger is 
over. They may then be allowed to run around with the 
hen, or, which is far preferable, be enclosed in a pen, 
where they are safe from all kinds of marauders, as rats, 
cats, skunks, chicken hawks, etc. 

We omit to mention anything about eggs hatched in 
incubator, as our experience is too limited in this direction. 
All the reports that have come to us, though, from the few 
that have tried incubating the quail egg show success, and 
Ave deem the plan perfectly feasible, with a good machine 
and proper care and attention. 



26 PROFIT IN DOMESTICATED QUAIL. 



How Quails Bxiild TKeir Nests 



Quails build their nests in high grass, wheat fields, 
or among hedges and bushes where there is an undergrowth 
of grass. The nest is so completely hidden that unless 
one comes very near, almost stepping on it, and the quail 
rushes out, it is passed by without being discovered. A 
quail's nest is easily made. Construct a box four inches 
high, four inches wide and five inches long, leaving it open 
at one of the long ends. Then take a handful of grass, 
and divide it well all around, bottom, sides and top, press- 
ing it tight. After this, line the bottom with soft grass, 
and your nest is ready. Place it in the quail house with 
the opening toward the rear, a few inches away from the 
wall. Have a door or loose board in the rear to conven- 
iently get to the nest. 



Information on Mating of tHe Quail 



Among flocks of quail (we mean those raised from a set- 
ting, fifteen or sixteen in number), there are always some 
which are larger and handsomer than others, and some 
which are more prolific layers than others. These should 
be particularly selected for breeding, and the birds of one 
flock mated with the birds of another flock not akin. Fol- 
lowing these simple rules the quail has been much improved 
since the introduction of quail culture. The domestic quail 
is larger, of more uniform size than the wild one, and a 
much better layer. 

If, however, anybody intends to raise the quail on a 
very large scale, and in the most part as common poultry 
only, this careful mating is not as essential. Inbreeding 
may be carried on successfully for years, especially if the 
start was besun with well mated stock. Starting with wild 



PROFIT IX DdMEynCATED ()L"AIL. 



stock it is advisable to procure quails from different gangs, 
and afterwards mate the young birds of the one with those 
of the other. 



THe Fertility of tHe Quail Egg 



The fertility of quails' eggs is about one hundred per 
cent. With the exception of the first egg laid, which is 
generally infertile, there is scarcely an egg that does not 
hatch. This is when the quail mates in pairs, which is the 
nature of the bird. We have been repeatedly asked, can 
you send us a trio? How many females can we keep with 
one male bird? We must say that we do not know; it has 
not been tried. We are making some experiments, how- 
ever, in this direction. 



TKe Quail Has Its Enemies 



Among these may be enumerated: The chicken hawk, 
rats, cats, skunks, possums and minks. The worst enemy 
of them all is the pet cat. It is the pest of all pests, the 
sneaking rascal ever lurking for its prey. The sooner it 
receives its dismissal the better — the next pond, or some 
similar place. You can not raise cats and quails at the 
same time; you must abandon one of the two. The cat is 
bad on chicks, but it is much worse on quails. We often 
receive letters about thus: 

"Can we not get another pair of tame quails? Last 
Sunday we all went to church, but forgot to look after the 
cat before we left the house, and when we came back, etc." 

No contagious diseases have so far made their appear- 
ance. Occasionally a quail dies, but it is not often. It is 
sick for about a day and then is dead. Owing to the rare 
occurrence of the malady, however, it has not been fur- 
ther investigated. The best safe^juards against disease 



28 PROFIT IN DOMESTICATED QUAIL. 

are fresh air, cleanliness, wholesome food in suitable va- 
riety, pure fresh water in clean vessels, combined with 
comfortable quarters. Where these conditions prevail, 
sickness is not very liable to enter. Vermin, lice in par- 
ticular, should be looked out for. Paint the houses in- 
side and outside as indicated under "Houses and Pens," 
and cover the bottoms of the houses, and when the quails 
roost on shelves, these also with a thick laver of road dust. 



Is It MucH Trouble to R.aise Quail? 



We are often asked is it much trouble to raise quails? 
Can quails be raised as easy as chickens? We must an- 
swer that we can not designate what is meant by the word 
easy, without further explanation as to the amount of care 
and attention that has been bestowed upon chickens. 
Nothing can be achieved in this world without some 
trouble. Chickens can be raised easy enough, that is true, 
and quails can be raised easier than chickens, that is true, 
also. The ([uail can live on a little grain and water, as 
far as that is concerned, but this is bad practice, produc- 
tive only of poor results. Give it liberal treatment, make 
its life comfortable, satisfy all its wants as near as possible, 
and you will have a fine healthy bird, full of life, vigorous 
and prolific; a bird that will not only delight yourself, but 
will delight everybody else. The culture of the quail is, 
in our opinion, connected with much less trouble than in 
the rearing of chickens, if they are properly attended to. 
It is not hard work, it calls for no muscular strength, it is 
only steady work, especially if transacted on a large scale. 
Any diligent person, endowed with a moderate degree of 
patience, though the body be frail, can perform all the 
work that is required. The main trouble arises when eggs 
are hatched with unnatural mothers, but this can readily 



PROFIT IX DOMESTICATED QUAIL. '29 

be overcome with patience. It takes patience to feed the 
Httle Ijirds when they are in the nest, and it takes patience 
to remove the hen from the nest durin^:^ hot hours and re- 
place her attain when it gets cooler. Patience and regu- 
larity are the main requisites of the business. 

We think the cjuail is worthy of the very best attention 
which can be bestowed upon it, even though it should make 
some trouble, for there is no other branch of the pet stock 
business which pays as well as quail culture. There is 
splendid money to be made at it, whether you raise them as 
common poultry for the market, for breeding purpose or for 
pets. You will find buyers everywhere, more buyers than 
you can furnish stock. Some will buy them for their 
beauty, some for their tfesh, and some for both combined. 

The Hesh of the quail is the most palatable and savory 
meat there is. It is a perfect delicacy. But aside from 
its delicious flavor, it is also of the easiest digestion, and 
on this account is invaluable for invalids and those suffer- 
ing from a weak stomach. 

And in connection with light work and profitableness, 
quail culture can also be pronounced, at the same time, a 
pleasant business. In fact we know of no other industry 
combming so manv ]ileasant sides with less unpleasant 
ones. 

The law does not interfere with the selling of domestic 
quails at any time of the year, no more than with domes- 
tic turkeys or the ordinary domestic chicken. It only 
forbids the killing of wild quail at certain seasons, as is 
detailed on the three following pages, for the purpose of 
preventing these birds from being exterminated. The 
domestic quail is readily distinguished from the wild one; 
hence there is no danger of mistaking the one for the 
other. In conclusion, we would say that continued up- 
to-date information about quail breeding is published in 
The Pet Stock News, Chicago. Send for a free .sample. 



30 PR(.>FIT IN DOMESTICATED OUAIL. 



Dig(est of All tState Game I^a^w^s 



At considerable effort the publisher of this book has compiled 
the following digest of all laws now in force relative to the protec- 
tion of quail in its wild state in the different states. This, of course, 
has no bearing on the domesticated quail, but is printed to show 
the times of year that the wild quail can be killed and sold in com- 
petition with the domesticated one, thereby naturally affecting the 
prices of such. The highest prices can be obtained for the home- 
bred quail out of the wild quail season, of course. 

Alabama — Can kill and sell wild quail from Nov. 1.5 to March 1, in- 
clusive. 

Arizona — Can kill and sell wild quail from Oct. l-'i to March 1; un- 
lawful to destroy wild quail eggs at any time of the year, or 
kill or have more than twenty-five wild quail in any one day. 

Arkansas — No general law on wild quail protection. Can not be 
killed at any time in White and Jackson counties, except for 
home and individual use. 

California — Unlawful to possess or kill wild quail between Feb. 1 and 
Oct. 1. In season not more than twenty-five wild quail can 
be killed in any one day. 

Colorado — Unlawful to hunt or kill at any time of the year wild quail 
in this state. 

Connecticut — Wild quail must be killed between Sept. MO and Dec 1, 
inclusive. 

Delaware — Unlawful to kill wild (}uail between Nov. l-"i and Dec. :il, 
a queer law. 

District of Columbia — Can not possess, kill or sell wild quail between 
Mar. 1.5 and Nov. 1. 

Florida — Can not hunt or kill on the public domains wild quail be- 
tween Mar. 1 and Nov. 1, and in season not more than twenty- 
five per day. Any person on his own premises at any time 
can kill as many as he chooses, inside his own land. 

Georgia — Can not kill wild quail between Mar. 15 and Nov. 1. Can 
be trapped on your own land at any time, though. 

Idaho — Can not trap or destroy wild quail between Dec. 1 and 
Oct. ol. 

Illinois — Wild quail can be destroyed by land owners at any time if 
necessary to protect crops or property of any kind. A five-year 



PROFIT IN DOMESTICATED OL'AIL. ^31 

law, expiring April, I'JO-i, is operative in Illinois to protect 

wild and game animals, not permitting any of them to be killed 

at anytime till then; but wild quail are omitted in the list, said 

to have been an oversight by the lawmakers. 
Indiana — Can not kill wild quail between Jan. 1 and Nov. 10, and 

then not' more than twenty-four in any one day. Unlawful to 

sell wild quail at any time of the year. 
Indian Territory — No person save Indians can kill wild cjuail at any 

time of the year, and they can whenever they feel like it. 
Iowa— Can not hunt wild quail between Jan. 1 and Nov. 1, and not 

on a public highway in season. 
Kansas — Wild quail can only be killed in the month of December. 
Kentucky — Wild quail can be killed only between Nov. lo and Jan. 1. 
Long Island i special law i — Wild quail are protected from Jan. 1 to 

Oct. yi, inclusive. 
Louisiana — Wild quail eggs and nests protected all the time; wild 

quail can be shot Oct. 1 to Mar. 1. 
Maine — Wild quail can be hunted only between Oct. 1 and Dec. I. 
Maryland — Nov. 1 to Jan. 1 is the time to go after wild quail in this 

state. 
Massachusetts — Can kill wild quail only between Oct. 1 and Dec. 1. 
Michigan — Open season for wild quail is between Oct. 1 to Nov. :iO, 

inclusive. 
Minnesota — You can shoot wild quail only from Sept. 1 to Nov. 1, 

state public parks excepted at all times. 
Mississippi — There is no general state law; hunting is prohibited on 

Sunday; local boards of supervisors regulate the quail matter. 
Missouri — The wild quail must be shot between Oct. 1 and Jan. 1. 

Unlawful to net, trap or pen quail at any time now. 
Montana — At present wild quail are protected the whole year around. 
Nebraska — The wild quail is at present protected the year around, 

same as Montana. 
Nevada— Can not kill wild quail at all till Sept. 1, 'o:i. 
New Hampshire — Open season to kUl wild quail is between Sept. \'> 

and Dec' 15. Eggs and nests always protected. 
New Jersey- -The wild quail can only be shot in November and De- 
cember of each year. 
New Mexico — Can kill the wild quail only from Oct. 1 to Mar. 1. 
New York-The killing season is from Oct :!1 to Dec. 10 for wild 

(]uail, but entirely prohibited in certain counties until ''}-i. 



AUG 1 5 1902 



Am IS m2 - 

AUG. 15 1902 

.32 PROFIT IN DOMESTICATED QUAIL. 

North Carolina — The wild quail can be shot Nov. 1 to Mar. 15. Some 

special county laws, though. 
North Dakota — The wild quail can not be killed till after Sept. 1, '0.5. 
Ohio — Open season to kill quail is from Nov. 1(J to Dec. 1, a very 

short period. 
Oiilahoma Territory — You must kill your wild quail between Oct. 1.5 

and Feb. 1. 
Oregon — Must be killed between Oct. 1 and Dec. 1, except that in 

some counties wild quail are protected the whole year till Oct. 

!■), '0.5. 
Pennsylvania — The open season to kill wild quail is between Oct. 15 

and Dec. 15, and they may be trapped from Jan. 1 to Feb. 15, 

but must be released alive in the same locality in the following 

spring. 
Rhode Island — Must kill wild quail between Oct. 15 and Dec. 15. 
South Carolina — Can not be shipped out of state and must be killed 

from Nov. first to April first. 
South Dakota — Wild quail must be shot between Sept. 1 and Jan. 1. 
Tennessee — Wild quail can only be killed for profit from Nov. 1 to 

Mar. 1 by persons on their own lands. 
Texas— Only be killed from Oct. 1 to Mar. 15. 
Utah — Protected the whole year till state is stocked. 
Vermont — Open season from Sept. 1 to Jan. 1, and not more than 

five quail per day can be shot. 
Virginia — Must be killed between Oct. 15 and Jan. first. 
Washington — No wild quail shall be killed till 1903. 
West Virginia — Open season to kill, Nov. 1 to Dec. 20. 
Wisconsin — Open season for killing the wild quail, from Sept. 1 to 

Dec. first. 
Wyoming May be shot Aug. 15 to Dec. first. 
Yellowstone Park — Ouail killing very strictly prohibited at all times in 

the limits of the park. 



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